This mile-wide British island boasts virgin-white beaches, turquoise seas, shoals of diversely patterned fish, and the world’s third biggest coral reef. Sadly, most passengers didn’t even see the beach graveyard of giant conch shells.

The ship docked 3 miles from town, on a beach where P&O’s parent company owns 13 acres of sea-frontage, and sells alcohol, tours and gifts to passengers (seemingly via their own staff or via shops leased to others). It seems P&O grabs extra profits every way possible. Even the local bronzed young guy said the shipping company employed his diving tours to the reefs, and I had to book on the ship or not go. The ship’s charge for scuba diving was £81 per person. He receives very little. It seems unethically anti freedom, that P&O should control and profit from passengers who may believe they’re buying from locals, or are unable to travel outside the 13 acre controlled site.

I suggest future passengers help island economies by buying from locals, maybe at discounts of 90%! Wouldn’t you rather not pay £81, and pay only £8 to £20, which is much more than poor local villagers normally earn? It's a win-win - unless you prefer to boost profits of shareholders of P&O and Carnival?

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Author

See my weird-but-true first blog post on December 1st 2011, for an overview of my polymath, joyful and horrid fairy tale life. Taste the yummy, Godly, disgusting and loving ingredients of future posts - all truthful, with just a little artistic licence.

If writing is the fruit of sin, I must have sinned greatly. Otherwise how was I cured after decades of being 80% disabled; how did I earn merits at a university creative writing course for poetry, fiction and non-fiction; and how did I travel and lecture on TV and radio internationally? I must surely have sinned in wonderfully fun ways.